Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series

by E. M. Sinclair

  Smoke was still trailing delicately from Farn’s nostrils. ‘Of course.’ He said it automatically, adding: ‘Why did they hold you? Did they want to harm you? Do you know these two-legs?’

  Tika hesitated. ‘They caught me because I was here. For their sport I suppose. No,’ she concluded, ‘I did not know them but it is how Fighters behave towards many people like me.’

  Farn turned back to the tapisi. ‘I’d caught a volu, and a hopper when you bespoke me. I dropped them a little way through the tapisi. Will those two-legs return?’

  ‘No. They are leagues away already. When they reach a farm or a town, they will tell of Dragons here. They will be laughed at.’ She thought for a moment. ‘Or if they are believed, many more Fighters will come here for the fame they would win by killing a Dragon.’ Farn looked alarmed. Tika said quickly, ‘We will tell this to Seela, and she will warn her Treasury. You go and fetch our supper – I will bespeak Kadi so that she can tell Broken Mountain Dragons to watch for two legs in the mountains now.’

  As they travelled, over hills now rather than mountains, they watched for any signs of two legs below them. Farn’s vision was acute, while Tika searched with her mind. Time passed quickly as she tried to untangle the melange of the different “voices” she heard – the odd, scolding, repetitive comments of a bushytail as it reminded itself where it had already stored nuts for the coming Cold Season. She heard the quiet thoughts of a shaggy honeyfinder as she sought a snug place to outsleep the Cold.

  Tika was amazed to find so many of the small feathered ones communicated with each other although it was a fairly simple enough form of speech. She was even more taken aback when a great eyes realised a stranger was in his mind and spoke directly to her, enquiring what she was doing. She apologised for her rudeness and explained she was a two legs and had only just discovered mind speech. The great eyes hurrumphed testily and went back to sleep, his mind firmly closed.

  ‘Farn, do you communicate with all creatures except two-legs?’

  ‘I think we can. There is not a great deal to talk about with many of them, but we can if we choose.’

  They were gliding down to land beside a stream that was nearly a river for their evening halt. Farn drank and then went off to find food for their supper. He was gone only briefly, returning with a volu and three hoppers. He sprawled on the grass eating the volu and watching Tika. She still walked up and down, bringing her knees high to loosen calf and thigh muscles.

  ‘Farn,’ she asked, ‘can you talk to trees, or rocks, or stars?’

  Farn was silent for so long Tika knew he was searching through the memories given to him at his hatching. She continued flexing her legs and arms as she waited.

  At last he said, ‘I’m not sure. There’s something to do with trees from a very long time past. It isn’t relevant now anyway. It seems trees do, or did, talk, but very, very slowly, so mostly we gave up trying to speak with them.’

  Tika came to a standstill in front of him. ‘So all things can talk? So all things must be able to think.’ She sat down and hungrily reached for a scorched hopper. She’d eaten half of it when another thought struck her. ‘Does a hopper know you are about to kill it?’

  ‘Dragons kill because our bodies need meat. We kill very quickly, usually before the volu or whatever, is even aware of our presence. We send calmness to their minds as we kill them to help them safely beyond.’

  As they continued to the Sun Mountains, Tika thought hard of this ability to mind speak. Of how her life had changed so dramatically. A life which she’d believed ended when she ran away from the town of Return. She had truly thought she would die of hunger, of falling among those high crags, or of being eaten by some hungry beast. And now she found herself on a silver blue Dragon’s back, treated with respect by others of the Dragon Kin, setting forth on an important search.

  She hoped Seela would have far more information to give her than Fenj had done about that last. It was difficult to believe that the Chena who, for fourteen Cold Seasons, had been a slave, held in contempt and abused by most of the Lord’s household, was now this Tika, soul bonded to a Dragon.

  On the fifth day of travelling, the Sun Mountains appeared as a bump on the horizon, looming ever higher the closer Tika and Farn approached. As they rested on the sixth evening, Seela mind spoke them both.

  ‘Welcome to the Sun Treasury! You have made a swift journey Farn. With so much strength in your wings already, surely you will be one of the mightiest when you are full-grown!’

  Tika laughed as Farn stretched fully upright, looking extremely pleased with himself. She felt Seela’s amusement as Farn had the grace to look a little ashamed of his pride.

  ‘Tomorrow,’ Seela told them, ‘fly the length of the valley beyond the pass where you are now resting. I will await you at the end of that valley. Sleep well!’

  They flew next day, through the valley as Seela had directed. To begin with it was narrow, set deeply between soaring rock walls. Gradually it began to widen until the rockfaces were many leagues apart. They passed over a long lake, its waters a strange blue tinged with brownish red, then continued up the valley over the river which fed the lake. At last the terrain narrowed again and began to rise.

  Soon after midday, Farn said: ‘She is there – on a ledge of that peak.’

  Tika looked where Farn indicated but could see only a purple speck, her vision being far inferior to Farn’s.

  ‘Seela!’ called Farn. ‘We are come. May we land at your cave?’

  ‘Be welcome, bonded ones. Food and friendship await you.’

  As Farn spiralled lower to approach Seela’s ledge in a gentle glide, Tika had the opportunity to study this new Dragon. Seela was as massive as Fenj, but she was a deep purple rather than black, with dark blue tints shimmering over her scales. Her eyes flashed, pale mauve sparking with a deep gold within them.

  Farn landed and as Tika slipped from his back, he stood erect and greeted Seela formally. Unsure of how she should act towards such a Dragon, Tika let fall her bundle and stood straight beside Farn. Her left hand on her sword hilt and her right flat over her heart, she bowed to Seela and repeated Farn’s words: ‘The Golden Lady keep you safe through all the Seasons.’

  By the time Seela had heard all they had to tell, stars were pricking the sky. Farn was unable to conceal his yawns and Seela sent him deeper into the cave to sleep. A comfortable silence grew between her and Tika, eventually broken by the two-legs.

  ‘Fenj said you knew more than he of the Lady’s wishes for us?’

  ‘You are to meet the other two-legs who is bonded,’ Seela told her. ‘It is a male Nagum, bonded to the first born daughter of Hani. Hani is unusual in that she is shy, she keeps to herself. She mind speaks to some of us in this Treasury but is overwhelmed by social Gathering times. She stays mostly at the farthest edge of our range. We knew she was brooding three eggs and she bespoke me when the hatchings began. She has spent one moon cycle teaching her first born and the bonded one all she can and has left them now to take her other hatchlings to her usual Cold Season place further towards the dying sun.’

  ‘A Nagum?’ Tika’s mind was churning. Nagums were characters from tales such as the ones she’d heard involving Dragons. A picture formed of a two legged creature, hunched and deformed, with a snouted face, wild eyes, fangs and talons.

  ‘No, no, no,’ said Seela testily. ‘That is a Linvak. Nagums are a shy and gentle tribe concerned with plants and flowers.’

  Tika tried to grasp these new ideas. How many tribes were there of whom she knew nothing? Were there stone men and giants too?

  ‘Try to concentrate please,’ Seela moved restlessly. ‘There are many tribes in this world indeed, of whom you seem totally unaware. Some may appear strange to your eyes, as many do to ours.’ (Tika had a feeling Seela was being a touch personal with that remark.) ‘However, as we have learnt, so must you – not to judge others, especially just on their appearance.’

  Tika had by now controlled h
er thoughts and Seela calmed herself.

  ‘The Nagum Mimnan and the bonded first-born Ashta, are on their way here. I have bespoken both of them, so they are prepared. I believed Nagums to be shy creatures, and a daughter of Hani’s could also be as timid as her mother. I trust the Lady had her reasons for choosing this pair for her task. I see you wear a sword – I cannot imagine a Nagum knowing how to use one.’

  Tika kept her mind blank lest Seela see that she also had little idea on the correct use of a sword.

  ‘Join Farn now and sleep easily while you may. I will stay here.’

  ‘Do you not need to sleep Seela? I noticed Kadi and Fenj were always awake whenever I roused in the night?’

  ‘We need very little sleep as we age, small one. Indeed, as we draw closer to the beyond, why waste the time we have left in sleep? But you and Farn are extremely young, and still growing, so – to sleep with you!’

  When Farn and Tika woke they found fresh meat waiting and Seela in the same place as when they’d slept. She told them Ashta and Mimnan would arrive during this day. Her pale mauve eyes shone softly. ‘The Lady would meet you soon.’ The prismed eyes began to whirr as she continued. ‘No one has met the Lady in the flesh for a great many cycles. She speaks only in our minds now. There was a time, long since past, when some of the Kin were regularly admitted to her presence.’ Seela was clearly becoming concerned. ‘There have been changes, alterations, in the pattern of the world, but I now fear we may have deliberately ignored some of the warnings. If the Lady is to meet you, things must be further awry than we believed.’ She rustled her wings in agitation. ‘Last night, Fenj told me other Elders have been warned by the Lady. A bad time is at hand and She says we must instruct the Treasuries to keep close to their Gathering Places. We must seek back through the memories, for such a time we have witnessed before says Emla.’

  Farn flew Tika from the ledge to a swift flowing stream that poured from the heights. Seela had said the Sun Mountains were rarely as cold as the Ancient Mountains. The snow-caps on their peaks never came far down their slopes. But already, at the close of this Gathering Season, the white lace was drifting lower, as they could see.

  Farn was eager to meet another young Dragon bonded as he was outside the Dragon Kin. He had felt a slight oddity in his position with others at the Gathering Place. Tika was more apprehensive. Despite Seela’s words, she still retained the images of Nagums from tales told in long dark evenings.

  The two wandered along, up the streamside, till they reached the place where it gushed from high in the mountain wall, frothing white as it fell. The force of its fall had gouged a basin where the water swirled then made its escape to tumble on down through the rocks. There was little vegetation, a coarse grass scattered thinly, lichens and mosses clinging to the water splashed sides of boulders and a very few starberry bushes.

  Farn found a hopper colony, which provided him with a snack. Dabbling his hands in the snowcold stream, he asked over-casually, ‘It hasn’t been difficult to find Seela. Do you think this journey the Lady wants us to make will be much more difficult? Or dangerous?’

  Tika draped her arm round his neck. ‘I think it’s all going to get very difficult. Fenj and Seela both feel worried to me. If THEY are worried, I think we will be scared stiff.’

  Farn reluctantly agreed that that was what he had begun to suspect, but before more could be said, Seela spoke in their minds.

  ‘Come to greet your companions! Ashta and Mimnan are here.’

  Chapter Seven

  Many, many leagues to the north, in the Realm of Ice, the Grey Guardian Rhaki was comfortably ensconced in his library. While far above him icy gales blasted the already heavily snow-covered mountains, here in his Stronghold he was warm and secure. He sat in a huge carved chair well padded with many fat cushions. His feet were stretched towards a glowing fire, the heap of ashes beneath the embers testifying to the fact it had been burning many hours.

  Rhaki had been studying his books but now sat, his eyes fixed on the fire before him. He had spoken to Nula and realised she was of no further use to him. It had been only a minor experiment anyway. He had found it amusing that Emla seemed to place such faith in her oversized lizards. He had thought to try contacting one himself

  and tempting it away from Emla’s influence.

  When he last bespoke Nula, he had been amazed at the raging anger and dark insanity that answered him. She had killed the two incompetents who had failed her. She refused to speak to him when once she realised it was indeed Rhaki bespeaking her. Through the confused miasma of her mind he divined her plan to descend to the plains and destroy any two legs she could find.

  He’d withdrawn his thoughts and laughed at how easily Emla’s Dragons could be turned from her path to his. This was all trivial anyway; his main purpose was to obtain at least two of Emla’s six remaining Weights. With one lost and, with luck, two more in his possession as soon as he could manage, the Balance would swing to him irrevocably.

  Rhaki left his chair and paced to the long oak table heaped with books and parchments. He paced back to the fire, deep in thought, his great height and almost skeletally thin body casting a monstrous shadow in the dim light. He turned again, this time moving to a deep, curtained embrasure. He held back one of the heavy curtains and peered through the thick glass.

  Snowflakes flattened where they hit and a sharp rattle could be heard from the grains of ice beating at the window. Not a night to be out, thought Rhaki. At least it would make Jal less likely to dawdle at any farm or tavern. The storm must be a blizzard down on the plains but Jal knew better than to plead bad weather to his master for too long a delay.

  For a moon and a half, minds had been closed to Rhaki. He had been unable to sneak into any thoughts where Emla laid claim. He let the curtain drop back, shutting out the wild whiteness and returning to his worktable. He gazed unseeing at a map, held unwound by a book on one end and a lump of rock on the other.

  Rhaki tried to imagine how the minds of a human or a Nagum would choose a route towards him. They had Dragons with them, but how or why they had made pets of a pair of young Dragons, Rhaki dismissed as of no importance. He was hoping Jal would at least have discovered their names. Once Rhaki had a name, he had something to work with. He had heard they had been seen in the foothills of the Spine Mountains. He mused again on the idea of pet Dragons. By the stars! A pair of fengars would have been less noticeable and more useful companions surely?

  There came a gentle rap on his door. ‘Come,’ said Rhaki, moving back to his fireside chair.

  Obviously Jal was intent on proving his devotion to duty; his hat was hung with rapidly melting icicles and his greatcoat was heavy with snow water. He started to squelch towards his master. ‘Stay,’ Rhaki ordered sharply, just before the man set a soaking boot to a rather valuable carpet.

  ‘The two you sent me to seek after are within the maze of the upper Spine Mountains, Master. They would seem to be heading for the Highlands rather than directly here.’

  ‘Seem? Do you not know more surely? What reports from the herders on the Middle Plains?’

  ‘Master, some herders saw two Dragons with riders on their backs. There is turmoil at such tales. Even those who saw the Dragons try to believe they imagined such a sight. Those who did not see the Dragons pour scorn on the idea.’

  ‘There has been no contact, no approach, made by the two I seek to any others?’

  ‘No Master, the opposite rather. They avoid humans and go far around towns and cities.’

  ‘And their names?’

  ‘I regret, no names were spoken Master.’

  ‘Hmm,’ Rhaki’s long fingers drummed on the broad arms of his chair. Jal did not move, a puddle spreading from his boots and steam rising from his coat. Rhaki abandoned his thoughts, ‘Go then Jal. Standing around in wet clothes will do you no good.’ He waved dismissively and Jal bowed soggily and left his Master’s presence.

  So the Dragons were being used as transport, not
just as pet companions as he had supposed. Rhaki decided that that proved how simple minded and docile they must be despite their great size. He felt Emla had made a sad misjudgement here; fengars were naturally aggressive and fought fang and hoof with their riders whereas a slow and ponderous Dragon would be of no significance. Misjudgement by Emla was advantage to himself.

  They were in the Spine Mountains were they? He would appear to the Shardi later and tell them they could earn much of his pleasure by capturing these two servants of Emla’s. And he would have to remember to be very clear that he meant he wanted them captured alive.

  Rhaki pulled a tasselled cord beside the fireplace. At once, two knocks sounded on his door. ‘Come, Bark.’ Rhaki did not bother to turn as his body servant entered. ‘I have work to do but I will need food later. Roast meat, cheese, fruit and hot wine outside the door in two hours. See to it Bark.’

  ‘Yes Master.’ Bark bowed his shadow-like form at Rhaki’s back and silently departed.

  Rhaki lifted a lantern from the mantelshelf and lit it with a taper from the fire. He took a heavy cloak from a hook and wrapped it around his tall body. Going to the wall opposite the fireplace, just beyond the long run of bookshelves, he laid his hand on the smooth rock. He moved his fingertips lightly, feeling for the slight indentations, then he pressed harder in a particular sequence. The apparently seamless rock opened smoothly into a dark space.

  Stepping into the opening, Rhaki paused to touch points on the inner wall and silently the rock resealed itself. He had no real need of the lantern as he stepped quickly along the passageway. He knew this downward sloping path by heart. It amused him to use a light, as most humans would have to do. He had long ago accustomed himself to all things to do with darkness. Twenty minutes later, he was before an apparent dead end, but once again he pressed his fingertips to certain spots upon the cold rock. Once more, a doorway swung open and he left it open as he entered the chamber within.

  Taking a taper from a jar on a shelf beside the entrance, he took flame from the lantern and touched it to candles set around the room. It was perhaps five man lengths across, and perfectly circular. The wall of living rock curved gently up to make a high domed roof. As each candle was lit, Rhaki kept his gaze firmly on the flame, never glancing to the centre of the room. When the last candle shone perfectly straight, he pinched out the taper, returning it to the jar.